Not So Smart
by Ocean7
Summary: You may find this hard to believe, but truth be told, I'm not as smart as people think I am.
1. The Secret

**My first Fan fiction. ****I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place.**

**Justin's POV:**

I woke up to my alarm clock ringing at 6:00 am. Another brand new day. I get up, shower, and get my clothes, but before I put my jeans on, I put on the "smarty pants". Dad showed us them last year, but I've known about them for years. You may find this hard to believe, but truth be told, I'm not as smart as people think I am.

It all started when I was 7 years old. Nobody in school ever noticed me. Shoot, I bet barely anybody knew my name. Alex was always the popular one. She had a bunch of friends, yet I had only one: Zeke Beakerman. People noticed him too. Even if it was just to say, "What's wrong with that kid?" They still noticed him. I wanted people to notice me too. I searched for a way to do just that and I came across these smarty pants. Finally, a way to be noticed.

At first, people were surprised. I mean, I never really was the "straight A" type student. My parents and teachers just thought I never reached my full potential until then. I knew my secret was safe.

So here I am, 18 years old, and living an entire lie. People do notice me, though it isn't what I expected. Now people think I'm a nerd, but hey, at least they notice me and know who I am, right?

**Alex's POV:**

I woke up to my mom yelling at me from downstairs at 7:54 am. Another day of boring school.

"Alex! Hurry up! You should have been up an hour ago!" Theresa yells from downstairs.

"I'm coming, I'm coming", I say, while waving my wand. It magically gets me ready so I don't have to do a thing, and I can just sleep in until the last moment. I walk downstairs to the substation.

"Alex, why can't you be more like Justin? He gets up early everyday. You should try it sometime," said an annoyed Theresa. "Now hurry up and get to school."

There we have it. Another day of being compared to Justin, I think to myself. _"Justin's so perfect," "Why can't you be more like Justin?"._ I tried to fix this once, and all it ended up doing was make him turn invisible. Why does he have to be so annoying?

I arrived at school the same time as Justin. "Hey, Justin," I say, not really caring.

"Hey, Alex," said Justin,

I look at him and say, "What…are you wearing?"

"W-w- what do you mean?" He asks, looking extremely nervous.

_Is he hiding something? _I wonder.

**I know it's not that good, but it's just introducing the story. It will get better (hopefully). Please review and tell if you like it, or if you don't like it. : )  
**


	2. Suspicious

**Justin's POV:**

"What… are you wearing?" asked Alex.

"W-w-what do you mean?" I said, nervously. _Does she know?_

"Oh, nothing," she said. "It's just that you look normal, for once."

"Oh…," was all I said. _Phew! _Usually I would have argued with her, but I was just glad my secret was safe. And with that, I headed to my first period class.

**Alex's POV:**

It was now lunch time, and I sat down next to Harper. "Hey, Harper. Have you noticed anything strange about Justin lately?" I asked her.

"No, why?" she asked, while eating her salad.

"Because I insulted him this morning, and all he said was, and I quote, "Oh…". And then he just walked away," I answered. "Can you believe it? It actually seemed like he was nervous."

"Hmm…," said Harper. "Would you really call that strange, Alex? I mean, maybe he just got tired of the same, old, routine."

"What routine?" I ask. Harper can be so confusing at times.

"Oh, you know," said Harper. "You make fun of him, he makes a lousy retort, and then you guys fight it out until you win. That routine. Maybe he got tired of it and just, you know, walked away."

"I still think Justin's hiding something," I told her, getting up and throwing my remaining food away. _And I'm going to find out what it is._

**Justin's POV:**

I'm relieved when the final bell rings, signaling the end of the school day. Being a nerd can be tiring sometimes. I walk around, behind the school, and flash myself back home. I arrive in living room in seconds. "Mom, dad, I'm home!" I called. I looked at the refrigerator and saw there was a note taped to it. It read:

_Justin,_

_We went to an emergency sandwich shop convention. It's about the tortilla vs. sandwich wrap controversy. We will be home tomorrow night. You're the most responsible, so we're leaving you in charge._

_Love, Mom and Dad._

The guilt is killing me. They had said I was "The most responsible". If only they knew. If only they knew that I was probably less responsible than Alex, or Max.

_They don't even know the real me. I'm not responsible. I'm not smart. I'm not even myself_, I thought. "I can't take it anymore!" I yell out.

Unfortunately, Alex chose then to flash herself home, and heard what I said.

"Justin…?" she said nervously.


	3. Conscience

**Alex's POV:**

"Justin…?" I say nervously. I had flashed myself back home, only to find Justin yelling at nobody. As if he couldn't get any weirder.

"Alex! I was just saying that I… can't take mom and dad leaving me in charge anymore," Justin said hastily. "They went to an emergency sandwich shop convention and left me in charge. I guess my petition for sandwich wraps and tortillas finally worked."

"Uh, huh…sure." I knew he was lying. I could always tell. Whenever he lies, he starts sweating and acting all nervous.

"Yeah, they left a note on the fridge. They won't be back until tomorrow night," he told me. I walked into the kitchen and read the note he was pointing at. So maybe that part wasn't a lie, but I knew that wasn't the reason he was yelling. I decided to play along.

"Oh, okay then," I said. Just then, Max walked through the front door.

"What's going on guys?" he asked.

"Mom and dad won't be home until tomorrow night. They're at a sandwich shop convention," I told him.

"Okay. I'll see you guys later. I have to get the bugs off my mashed potato helmet," said Max randomly.

I went up to my room, leaving Justin alone, and called Harper. Now I was sure he was hiding something.

"Hello?" answered Harper.

"Hey, Harper."

"Oh, hey Alex. So, what's going on?" she asked.

I told her about what just happened downstairs. From Justin yelling at himself, to Max's mashed potato helmet. _Wow… my family is messed up_, I think to myself.

"Wow…" said Harper, after I told her the whole story.

"I know…" I said. Finally she understands.

"So Max has a mashed potato helmet? That sounds like something I'd make…" she said. Apparently she didn't understand.

"Harper! That's not the point!" I say getting frustrated. Does she really think I called her to tell her about Max's randomness? "This proves that Justin's up to something. Which is good! That means I can blackmail him when he tries tell mom and dad something that I probably shouldn't have done," I tell her, smiling. Remembering all the great pranks I pulled in the past. "All I have to do is find out what he's hiding."

"I still think you're looking too into this, Alex," Harper said, skeptically.

"I'm looking too into this, Harper? It all fits!" I say. Why can't she see it? "He only acts like this when he feels guilty, and when he feels guilty, it usually means he did something bad!

"Alex…" she began.

"I'll talk to you later, Harper," I told her, hanging up the phone. I wasn't in the mood for her arguing because I knew I was right.

**

* * *

Justin's POV:**

Alex and Max went upstairs to their bedrooms, so I went down to the substation and started my shift. It was a very slow day. We only had a few customers. At about 5:00 I decided to close up early. I locked the doors, cleaned the tables, and hung up my apron.

The evening passed by quickly. Max went over to his friend Alfred's house to spend the night, and Alex never came out of her room. I spent the evening trying to make myself feel less guilty.

"I should have listened to my conscience and not have done this in the first place," I say to myself. "Wait a minute! That's it!" I go into the bathroom, and stand in front of the mirror.

"My inner thoughts of right and wrong, come out come out where you belong!" I say the spell and my reflection was now my conscience. "Whoa…" I say. "Is that really what I look like?"

"Well, this is how you look to other people," said Conscience. "So, what did you need me for?" he asked.

"I've done something bad. I'm living an entire lie! Everyone I know thinks I'm _so_ smart. They think I'm _so _responsible. But the truth is, I'm not any of that!" I tell him, while lifting the leg of my jeans, revealing the tie-dye designed magical pants. "I've been wearing these Smarty Pants since I was seven years old. My family, my friends, they don't even know who I am," I say, letting out what I've been holding in for years. "What should I do? The guilt is killing me!"

"The best thing for you to do is to stop wearing the Smarty Pants. Try to find who you really are, Justin," Conscience tells me.

"What if they start to ask me why I've changed so much?"

"If that happens, then you will have to confess. They may be disappointed in you, but you will feel so much better afterwards."

"Thanks, Conscience," I say. I turn around to leave, but something in the mirror catches my eye: Alex.

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**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm sorry it took so long to update, but I wanted to make this chapter longer. Please review. I can see how many people read it in my story traffic, but I like to hear what you think. Thanks!**


	4. Alex Knows

**Justin's POV:**

"Alex! What are you doing?" I said, both angry and nervous.

"No, Justin. The question is, what are _you_ doing?" she asked.

"I asked you first!"

"Fine! I was eavesdropping. Your turn," she told him.

"I…umm… how much did you hear?" I asked.

"All of it!" she said angrily. "How could you do this Justin? Why would you do this?"

"Listen, Alex," I stammered. "I can explain!" He had never seen her this mad before.

"Explain then," she said, coldly.

"I was only seven years old. I just wanted people to notice me," I explained. "I was always left out. I always felt like I didn't belong. Zeke was my only friend. All I was, was average. When I found out about Smarty Pants, I saw it as a chance to be noticed. I didn't know what the outcome would be!"

Alex didn't say anything, she was just staring at me. "Alex? Say something!" I say.

"What do you want me to say, Justin?" Alex said angrily.

"Why are you mad at me?"

"Gee, Justin. I don't know," she said sarcastically. "Maybe because you've been lying to everyone for eleven years of your life. Maybe because I thought I knew you, when you don't even know yourself. Or maybe, it's because I've had to live in your shadow all of my life, when the truth is, if you hadn't screwed up, my life would be completely different!"

"Alex…I-"

"I'm done with you!" she yelled at me. "Do you know what it's been like, living in your shadow? I've spent my entire life being compared to you, and I put up with it because you're my brother, but I can't believe you would do this to me! To all of us!" She was close to tears now.

"Alex…I'm sorry…" I said, sadly. "Please, just, don't tell mom and dad."

"You know what, Justin?" she says. "Don't talk to me!" And with that, she stormed upstairs, slammed her door, and left me in tears. _What have I done?_

**

* * *

Alex's POV:**

I slammed my door, and collapsed on my bed crying. I was hurt, and angry at the same time. I knew there was something he was hiding, but I couldn't believe this. Was he planning on keeping this a secret forever? I don't know Justin, but I do know that he is a horrible liar. He could have never hidden this forever. She didn't know what she should do. Was she supposed to get to know her brother all over again?

She ended up crying herself to sleep that night, and woke up early at 7:30. It was Saturday so she stayed in bed until 8:00, not wanting to face Justin. Eventually she couldn't stay in bed any longer, so she got ready, and went downstairs. Justin was sitting at the table, eating breakfast.

"Good morning," he mumbled.

I ignored him. I grabbed some cereal, and sat down on the sofa to eat.

"Alex, please talk to me," said Justin, getting up and sitting next to me. "I know I screwed up. I know I shouldn't have done what I did. You have every right to be angry with me, and you don't know how sorry I am, but can we please just talk about it?" he pleaded.

"Fine. What do you want?" I say.

"I need to know that you forgive me, Alex," said Justin, earnestly.

This is something I had to think about. I wanted to forgive him, but I also wanted to forget him. He told a pretty big lie. A lie that affected everyone. But he's my brother, I may not know anything about him, but he's still my big brother, so I said, "I forgive you."

"Really? Are you sure?" he said.

"Are you trying to change my mind?" I asked him.

"No, I'm not. Thank you," Justin said. "And I truly am sorry for this whole mess. I'm going to figure out a way to fix this," he said confidently.

"Hey, I've just realized something," I said.

"What?"

"Since you're not smart anymore, I'm the one who is probably going to win the wizard competition!" I said cheerfully.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" he said. "But you won't be so cheerful when you do something wrong, and nobody's there to fix it."

"Oh, no…," I said, realizing this. "You're right."

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**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. As always, please review. Thank you!**


	5. Being Yourself

**A/N: Hey guys! I know it's been over a month since I last updated, and I'm sorry. I've been pretty busy lately. I wasn't quite sure where I was going with the story, but now I have it all planned out. There will be two more chapters after this one. I have the next chapter ready, but I want to get at least three reviews before I update. Thanks everyone! =)**

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**Justin's POV:**

"Justin, Max, Alex!" I heard Mom call from the front door. "We're home!"

Alex, Max, and I went downstairs to the loft. "So, how was the convention?" I asked them. "Did you have fun?"

"Oh, yeah," answered Mom. "Nothing says fun like hearing some guy tell us that sandwich wraps are really tortillas, and we need to give them more credit," she said sarcastically.

"Did you know that this whole thing happened because some teenager started a petition?" said Dad. "What kind of idiot does that?" I blushed and shifted uncomfortably.

"I know! said Alex. "Nobody _smart_ would do that." I glared at her. She wouldn't dare give up my secret. But knowing Alex, that was highly probable.

"So, what did you guys do while we were gone?" asked Mom.

Alex opened her mouth to say something, but I cut in before she could. "Oh, you know, the usual," I said. I wasn't going to take any chances.

"Yeah," said Alex. "Max went to his friend's house, I read magazines, and Justin-," she paused. "Hmm… what were you up to, Justin?"

I knew exactly what she was doing, and I had to think fast. "Oh, I was just… finishing some homework," I lied. "Alex, can I talk to you in the lair?" I asked her urgently.

Once we were in the lair, I asked her, "What was that back there?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said nonchalantly.

"Oh, don't play dumb with me. You almost told everyone my secret! I thought you agreed that you wouldn't tell!"

"I never said that!" she replied. "All I said was that I forgive you. I didn't say I'd help you out," she said matter-of-factly.

"Well…" I started. She had me there. "Then will you?"

"Give me one good reason why I should," she said. "You're the one who got yourself into this mess. You can get yourself out."

"Here's a reason," I tell her. "Do you know how many times I've gotten you out of trouble? Every single time you mess up, I'm the one who has to fix it. Like it or not, you owe me Alex. You owe me big time."

"Fine," said Alex reluctantly. "But I'm only doing this because I owe you, not because I want to."

"Believe me, I know," I mutter, barely audible. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. What do you want me to do?"

"First, you have to promise me that you won't tell anybody about what I did. Got it?" I say.

"Okay. I promise," she said.

"And second, I'm going to try out Conscience's plan and be myself. It can't be that hard, right?" I asked, trying to reassure myself.

"Maybe…," said Alex. "but what happens when that doesn't work? You could never pull that off."

"If that happens, we go to plan B."

"And what's that?" she inquired.

"We use magic," I say simply.

* * *

It feels weird not knowing everything. It's like I'm a complete stranger to the world around me. Maybe I should just forget what Conscience said and go straight to plan B, but it's too late. Now I'm sitting at my desk in 1st period world cultures.

"Justin Russo," Mr. Laritate calls my name for attendance, interrupting my thoughts.

"Here!" I answered.

"Okay! Today, I thought we'd start off with an oral pop quiz!" Mr. Laritate says with enthusiasm. The whole class groans. "Zeke Beakerman!" Zeke stands up, looking confident. "Name the capital of Guinea-Bissau, Africa."

"Umm… Bissau?" he guessed.

"Correct!" says a smiling Mr. Laritate, ringing that annoying bell. "Justin Russo! Name the 16 countries that make up West Africa and their capitals."

Everybody looked at me expectantly. I didn't know what to do. It's not like I knew the answer! Why couldn't I get an easy question? Now I know how Alex felt. "Umm…" I said, trying to think of a good answer.

"Justin? We're waiting," said Laritate.

"I…I don't know," I say reluctantly. Everybody gasped.

* * *

After being embarrassed 1st period, there were no more pop quiz's before lunch. We did, however, have a few worksheets, where I could have sworn I saw my teachers give me weird looks when they were grading them. _Ring!_ That was the bell signaling lunch. I grabbed my lunch out of my locker and hurried to the cafeteria. I saw Alex sitting with Harper and Zeke. I sat down next to her.

"Alex, we have a problem," I said. Harper and Zeke were too busy talking about their robot washing machine to hear our conversation.

"What is it now?" she asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Conscience's plan isn't working out so well. I tried being myself, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to fail all my classes," I tell her miserably. "I think it's time for plan B."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" said Alex, impressed. "We're really going to use _magic_?" she asked, whispering that last word.

I nod, and she smiles.


	6. Plan B

**Justin's POV:**

"Did you find anything yet, Alex?" I asked. We were in the lair, looking for a spell that could help us.

"No! For the seventh time! When I find something, I'll let you know. Okay?" said Alex, irritated. We have been searching for hours, and it was getting a bit frustrating. "Hey, what if we used a time spell?" she suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"What if we reversed time to when you were seven, before you decided to become a brainiac?" she explained.

"I don't know, Alex. Those spells can be pretty difficult. If something went wrong it would be horrible. The spell would take a lot of power. At least three wizards would have to do the spell in order for it to work right," I said, looking at the spell myself.

"So? We can get Max to do the spell with us. He won't ask any questions. It's perfect!" she told me.

"Alright," I agreed. "Let's do it."

"Great!" she said excitedly. "I'll go get Max." She flashed upstairs and quickly reappeared with Max.

"Max, we need you to do a spell with us," I said.

"What's it going to do?" he asked, suspicious.

I looked at Alex. What harm could it do? We were going back in time anyway. "We're going to reverse time eleven years back," I tell him.

"Oh, okay," he said simply, as if I hadn't just told him that we were about to bend time and space.

"All right. Everybody grab hands and say this spell," I tell them, holding out the paper with the spell scrawled on it for them to see.

"_The past is where mistakes were made, rewind time so those memories will fade!_" everyone recited in unison.

A strong wind came and brought everything around us crashing to the ground. We screamed, and then there was nothing.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so they did the spell and it brought them back in time. The next chapter will be the epilogue. It will basically tell how their lives turn out when Justin isn't a nerd. I apologize for the super short chapter, but there really wasn't that much I could do. Please remember to review. Thanks everyone! =)**


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